Adjustable book-support.



B. T. PHELPS. 1

ADJUSTABLE BOOK SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 14., 1910.

Patented Jan. 16, 1912.

ZSHEETS-SHEBT 1.

' ATTORN EY WITNESSES B. T. PHELPS,

ADJUSTABLE BOOK SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 14, 1910.

Lfilfiwgg Patented Jan. 16, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTQR ATTO R N EY BAILIE r. PHELPS, or NATOHITOCHES, LOUISIANA." V

ADJUSTABLE BOOK-SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 14, 1910. Serial No. 592,264'.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BAILIE T. PHELPS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Natohitoches, inthe parish of Natchitoches and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and useful Adjustable Book-Support, of which the following is a specificatlon.

The invention relates to improvements in book supports.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of book supports, more especially that shown and described in Patent No. 936,936, granted to me Oct. 12, 1909, and to simplify and reduce the cost of constructing the saine and to facilitate the adjustment thereof.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction,,within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spiritnor sacrificing any of the advantages of the intention.

In the drawings :-Figure 1 is an elevation ofan adjustable book support constructed in accordance with this invention, and shown applied to the rungs ofa chair. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the ad justable book support. Fig. 3 is a detail ,view, illustrating the manner of mounting the adjustable book support on the seat of a chair. Fig. 4 is a similar view, illustrating the manner of mounting the adjustable book support upona table. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the adjustable rung-engaging clamp. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the bifurcated clamp.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the adjustable book support comprises in its construction a book rack 1, provided with a central longitudinal opening 2 for the reception of the upper end of'the supporting standard 3, and having intermediate and end laterally extending book supporting arms 4, 5 and 6. The book rack, which may be cast or otherwise constructed of a single Patented Jan. 16,1912;

piece of metal, is preferably formed of e book rack, have their terminal portions bent outwardly to form the upper and lower end arms 5 and 6. Th between the arms 5 2tby rivets 9, or other suitable fastening means, and they are bent outwardly at the intermediate arms 4 to space their central portions to form the longitudinal opening 2. The side strips 8 are bent into approximately U-shape and consist of the intermediate arms 4 and connecting portions, which are riveted, or otherwise secured to the laterally bent oif-set central portions of the strips 7.

The book rack is provided at the bottom with a book supporting plate 10, riveted or otherwise secured to the bottom laterally extending arms .6 and provided at the front and back with depending cars 11, having alined openings for the reception of a stem 12 of a spring actuated leafengaging device 1%. The leaf engaging device is constructed 0 stem and twisted and bent upwardly at the .front end of the stem to form a relatively short upwardly extending'shank 14. The wire is bent to form a pair of leaf engaging loops, extending laterally fromthe upper end of the shank 14, and an outwardly extending' finger loop 15 is arranged at'the tending loops are maintained in engagement a single piece of wire, bent to form'the eyare secured together W and 6' and the opening lower end of the shank. The laterally'ex f' with the leaves of an open bookby means of a coiled spring 16, disposed on the stem 12 and interpbsed between the from; y

pending bifurcated ear and a collar 17,

suitably secured to the stem .12. The out-. wardly projecting loop 15 of the leaf engaging device is adapted to be grasped by the reader to withdraw the laterally extending loops from engagement with thelea'ves to, permit the latter to--be turned without re moving the book from the rack.

The standard 3, whic'h is tubular,fis are ranged in the upper or outer end of they opening 2 of the book rack, which ispivoted V to the upper end ofthe'standard by a rivet 18, or other suitable fastening device. The book rack 'is.adapted .to be tilted and arranged at difl'erent angles to suit the con- 7:

venience of the reader, and it is retained in such angular ad ustment by means of an inclined brace 19, pivoted at its upper end in the inner or lower portion of the opening 2 by a rivet 20, or other suitable fastening device and provided at its lower end with an opening 21, through which the standard passes, whereby the lower end of the brace is maintained in operative position with relation to the standard. The openin is rounded at the lower portion to con orm to the configuration of the standard, and the brace is provided 'with a straight edge at the; upper or inner portion of the opening to engage with shoulders 22, formed by notching or' recessing the standard and arranged at intervals throughout the length of the same. The pivot l8pf the book rack is located beyond the center thereof, and the inner or lower portion of the book rack. is heavier than the outer portion, whereby the 'weight'of the lower or inner portion vwill operate to maintain the brace in engagement with any one of the shoulders ofi'the standard. The upper end of the brace is provided with an eye 23, which maybe formed in any desired manner to receive the pivot 20. In the drawings the upper end of the brace is shown bent upon itself to form the eye 23 and riveted to the body portion of the brace. The book rack is adjustable from the inclined position shown in Fig. 2 to the horizontal position, and any number of notches or shoulders may be employed to secure the desired adjustment.

The lower portion of the standard receives an upwardly extending pivot arm 24 of a crank-shaped rod 25, having a supporting shoulder 26 at the lower end of the pivot portion 24 to receive-the lower end of the standard. The lower end of the standard 'is provided with serrations or notches 27, adapted to interlock with corresponding serrations or notches 28 of the supporting shoulder, whereby the lower end of the standard is interlocked with the upper portion of the crank-shaped rod and is held against accidental rotary movement on the pivot portion 24 thereof. The engaging serrations 27 and 28 permit a ready adjust ment of the standard and the rack, and'the weight of the standard, the book rack and the contents of the'latter will maintain the said standard firmly in engagement with the serrations or teeth of the crank-shaped rod. The crank-shaped rod or section 25 is also provided with a dependingpivot 29, extending downwardly from a shoulder 30 and fitting in an upwardly ex-ending arm of the lower tubular crank-shaped rod or section 31. The upper end of the lower crank-shaped rod or section 31 is provided with serrations or teeth 32, which en age corresponding serrations or teeth :33 o the shoulder 30 of the upper crank-shaped rod or section 25. The lower crank-shaped rod or section 31 fits in a sleeve or socket 34 of 'with a clamping screw 39 for engaging the lower tubular crank-shaped rod or section to secure the stop in its adjustment. The crank members provide fora lateral or horizontal adjustment of the book rack and enable the same to be arranged either in front of the reader or at the one side thereof, and

owing to the interlocking of the parts through the serrations 01' teeth, the adjustment of the book rack may be quickly effected.

The clamp 35 is composed of front and vrear sections 40 and 41, consisting of bars of metal provided at their outer portions with approximately hooked-shaped rung engaging 'jaws 42 and 43, and having their inner portions overlapped and slidably connected by means of lugs 44 and a Slot 45 and screw 46. The lugs 44 are formed in tegral with the bar or member 40 of the clamp and are bent inwardly beneath and slidably embrace the bar or member 41. The slot 45 extends longitudinally of the bar or member 40,- and the screw 46, which is adjustable to clamp the parts in their ad:-

justrnent, is mounted in a threaded perforation at the inner end of the bar or member 41, and it extends through the slot 45 of the other bar or member 40 andisadapted to engage the latter. "The jaw 43 is formed by bending the outer end of thebar or member 41 inwardly beneath the said bar or member,

as shown. The outer end of the bar or mem- I ber 40 is first bent to form the vertical sleeve or loop 34, and the metal is then extended beneath the outer end of the bar or member 40 to form the jaw 42. The metal at the inner side of the sleeve or loop 34 has a quarter bend to arrange'thesaid loop in a vertical position to receive the rod or seetion 31. The jaws 42 and 43 which are 10- cated beneath and spaced from the members of the clamp are'adapted to embrace and engage the rungs 47 of a chair 48, and

in order to provide for an inclined adjust-' ment, the jaw 43 of the bar or member. 41 is equipped with a clamping block 49, movable inwardlyv and outwardly within the jaw and operated by an adjusting screw 50. By means of the clamp the adjustable book support may be readily applied to chairs of different sizes.

The device is also equipped with a bifurcated clamp 51, having a vertical. socket or sleeve 52 and provided with upper and lower horizontal jaws 53 and 54. The lower jaw 54 is equipped with a clamping screw 55 and the upper jaw is preferably provided at its lower engaging face with a lining 56 of felt, or other suitable material, and is adapted to beengaged with the upper face of the seat of a chair, or tl 1e upper face of the top of the table without scratching or otherwise marring the finish of the article of furniture. The socket or sleeve 52 is provided at its upper edge with serrations or teeth 57, and is adapted to receive either the lower pivot portion 29' of the upper crank-shaped rod 25, or the. lower pivot portion of the lower crank-shaped member 31, and its serrations 01' teeth are adapted to engage with the tooth of the adjustable stop36, as clearly shown in Fig. 3 when the clamp is applied to the seat of a chair. \Vhen the clamp is applied to the top of a table 58, a bushing 59 is arranged within the socket or sleeve 52 to reduce the size thereof to fit the lower portion 29 of the crank-shaped rod or section. The bushing 59, which may be rigidly secured within the socket or sleeve 52 by a pin 60, or other suitable means, is provided at its upper edge with serrations or teeth 61' spaced apart at their central portions to form alongitudinal opening and having their terminals bent laterally to provide book supporting arms, said bars being secured together between the openlng and the arms,

and approximately U-shaped bars secured to the first mentioned bars at opposite sides of the said opening and forming intermediate laterally projecting arms, a standard fitted in the said opening, a pivot connecting the book rack with the standard, and an inclined adjusting brace pivoted at its upper end in the said opening and adjustably engaging the standard.

A book support including a tubular standard provided at its lower end with serrations. a book rack carried by the standard, an upper approximately crank-shaped rod jhaving upper and lower pivot portions provided with shoulders and having serrations thereat, the upper pivot portion fitting in the tubular standard and the serrations of such pivot portion engaging with the serrations of the standard, and a lower approximately crank-shaped tubular section provided at its upper end with serrations and receiving the lower pivot portion of the upper section and engaging with the serrations thereof.

3. A book support including a book rack, a vertical rod or section connected therewith, and a horizontal metallic clamp composed of front and rear sections connected at their inner ends, the metal of the front section being bent to form a circular loop or sleeve and having a quarter bend adjacent to the loop or sleeve to arrange the same in a vertical position to receive the inner rod or section, the front terminal of the metal being extended .rearwardly beneath the clamp and spaced therefrom to provide a front rung engaging jaw and the rear Section being bent downwardly and inwardly at its outer end to form a hook-shaped rung engaging jaw.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

BAILIE T. PHELPS. Witnesses L. \V. Tnssnn, J N0. H. KEYSER,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

